VDIC NEWSLETTER
May 2008

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

 

 

VDIC News. 1

Free Training Sessions Provided by VDIC.. 1

Exhibitions at VDIC.. 1

Library. 3

Selected Resources at VDIC and on the Internet on No Tobacco.. 3

Highlights from the New Additions to VDIC Library.. 3

Useful Web Sites. 4

Friends of Vietnam Heritage Book Review... 4

Selected Publications for Sale at VDIC.. 6

Distance Learning Center Events in May 2008. 10

Funding Opportunities. 10

 

 

 

VDIC News  

 

Free Training Sessions Provided by VDIC

 

Location:        VDIC, Ground Floor, 63 Ly Thai To, Hanoi

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR PARTICIPANTS:

 

* Please read the course materials available online at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=library&op=viewDetailNews&id=339&mid=322&cmid=361 before attending the class. It is useful to take them to the class for additional notes since we do not provide participants with printed course materials.

* Please bring your own laptop to the classes if possible since these training sessions require computer use and Internet access while number of computers for class participants are limited. Wifi is provided free of charge at VDIC.

 

“Searching the Internet: basic skills” class

 

Date:              May 20, 2008 -- Time: 10:00am to 12:00am

 

Aims:              After the workshop, participants should: (i) have a better understanding of information-finding possibilities on the Internet (ii) have a broad overview of different search tools (iii) be able to phrase search queries effectively.

 

“Referencing skills” class

 

Date:              May 21, 2008 -- Time: 10:00am to 12:00am

 

Aims:              After the workshop, participants should know how to: (i) manage their references (ii) cite the references appropriately (iii) create a reference list or bibliography.

 

Everyone is welcome - please visit the VDIC to sign up at the front desk, or send an email to nvu2@worldbank.org with your name, organisation, and telephone number and specify the class(es) you want to participate. Acceptance of registration will be done on first come first serve basis.

 

Exhibitions at VDIC

 

Please see Library section for lists of selected resources on the exhibition themes below.

 

World No Tobacco Day 2008: Tobacco Free Youth

 

Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world. It is the only legal consumer product that kills one third to one half of those who use it as intended by its manufacturers, with its victims dying on average 15 years prematurely. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance and child and adolescent experimentation can easily lead to a lifetime of tobacco dependence.

 

Globally, most people start smoking before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of these individuals begin using tobacco before the age of 10. The younger children are when they first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit. Approximately 1.8 billion young people (aged 10-24) live in our world today with more than 85% found in developing countries. Having survived the vulnerable childhood period, these young people are generally healthy.

 

However, as the tobacco industry intensifies its efforts to hook new, young and potentially life-long tobacco users, the health of a significant percentage of the world's youth is seriously threatened by their deadly products. The tobacco industry spends tens of millions of dollars worldwide every year to effectively market its products in as many ways as possible. It is clearly proven that exposure to direct and indirect pro-tobacco advertising, together with other marketing strategies used by the tobacco industry, leads to an increase in experimentation by young people and, in turn, to the very real risk of their becoming regular users of tobacco products.

 

In response to this threat to young people, this year's World No Tobacco Day campaign focuses on the following main message:

 

One of the most effective ways countries can protect young people from experimenting and becoming regular tobacco users is to ban all forms of direct and indirect tobacco advertising, including promotion of tobacco products and sponsorship, by the tobacco industry, of any events or activities.

 

Small exhibition at VDIC on this occasion provides brief information on this topic.

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Library

 

For more information about VDIC library services and resources, please visit http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=library&op=viewDetailNews&id=354&mid=322

 

Selected Resources at VDIC and on the Internet on No Tobacco

 

WHO’s World No Tobacco Day web site http://www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2008/focus/en/index.html

 

SOC-DRU-T4. Tobacco Control Policy : Strategies Successes Setbacks. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2003. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000094946_03052404023181

 

SOC-DRU-T1. The 2003 GYTS in Vietnam: a preliminary report on youth tobacco use. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2003. Fulltext http://www.wpro.who.int/NR/rdonlyres/D24A22BD-13C0-4D5B-ADA0-B26F5CA1EDFA/0/VietNam.pdf

 

Samet, Jonathan M. Women and the tobacco epidemic : challanges for the 21st century. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2001. Full text http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2001/WHO_NMH_TFI_01.1.pdf

 

SOC-DRU-T3. Curbing the epidemic - governments and the economics of tobacco control. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 1999-05-31. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000011823_20050810090258

 

SOC-DRU-T3. Ngan chan mot nan dich : chinh phu va khia canh kinh te cua kiem soat thuoc la = Curbing the epidemic : government and the economics of tobacco control. Washington, D.C.: Ngan Hang The Gioi, 1999

 

De Beyer, Joy. Privatization in the tobacco industry : issues and good practice guidelines to ensure economic benefits and safeguard public health. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2005-06-01. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000160016_20050711141012

 

de Beyer, Joy. Tobacco Control Policy: strategies successes and setbacks. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 2003-05-31. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000094946_03052404023181

 

de Walque, Damien. Education, information, and smoking decisions : evidence from smoking histories, 1940-2000. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2004-07-01. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000112742_20040721180236

 

Djutaharta, Triasih. The impact of passive smoking at home on respiratory diseases: results from the Indonesia 2001 national survey data. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2005-06-01. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000090341_20050822151208

 

Guindon, G. Emmanuel. Past, current and future trends in tobacco use. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2003-03-01. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000265513_20040607175222

 

Kyaing, Nyo Nyo. Study on poverty alleviation and tobacco control in Myanmar. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2005-09-01. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000160016_20051021165929

 

Sarntisart, Isra. An economic analysis of tobacco control in Thailand. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2003-10-01. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000265513_20040601172459

 

Highlights from the New Additions to VDIC Library

 

Full list of new additions to VDIC library can be found at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=library&op=viewDetailNews&id=161&mid=322&cmid=325

 

AGR 18. Kiple, Kenneth F. A movable feast: ten millennia of food globalization. Cambridge University Press.

 

EDU 3. Peters, Michael A.; Besley, A.C. (Tina). Building knowledge cultures: Education and development in the age of knowledge capitalism. Rowman & Littlefield, 2006.

 

EDU-EQU-V1 [Internet]. Bộ Giáo dục Đào tạo; UNICEF; UNESCO. Nghiên cứu về chuyển tiếp từ tiểu học lên trung học cơ sở của trẻ em gái người dân tộc thiểu số. Bộ Giáo dục Đào tạo; UNICEF; UNESCO, 2008. Full text http://www.un.org.vn/dmdocuments/transition_study_vn_.pdf  

 

ENV-BIO-V26. Sterling, Eleanor Jane; Hurley, Martha Maud; Lê, Đức Minh. Lịch sử tự nhiên của Việt Nam. Nhà xuất bản Đại học Yale, 2006.

 

ENV-CLI 5. Sanderson, Jamie; Islam, Sardar M.N. Climate change and economic development: SEA regional modelling and analysis. Palgrave, 2007.

 

ENV-DIS-V2. CARE International Vietnam. Quản lý rủi ro thiên tai dựa vào cộng đồng: Một số điển hình làm tốt. CARE International Vietnam, 2007. Full text http://www.ccfsc.org.vn/ndm-p/images/download/CBDRM%20Good%20Practice%20Examples-V.pdf  

 

ENV-MAN-V [Internet]. Hoang, Minh Ha; Van Noordwijk, Meine ; Pham, Thu Thuy. Payment for environmental services: Experiences and lessons in Vietnam. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), 2008. Full text http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Publications/files/booklet/BL0034-08.PDF  

 

IND-POL 9. Yusuf, Shahid; Nabeshima, Kaoru; Yamashita, Shoichi (eds). Growing industrial clusters in Asia: Serendipity and science. World Bank, 2008. Directions in development. Private sector development.

 

LAB-HDR [Internet]. Giguere, Sylvain (ed.). More Than Just Jobs: Workforce Development in a Skills-Based Economy. OECD, 2008. Full text http://213.253.134.43/oecd/pdfs/browseit/8408021E.PDF  

 

LAW-SYS-V5. Sidel, Mark. Law and society in Vietnam: The transition from socialism in comparative perspective. Cambridge University Press, 2008. Cambridge studies in law and society.

 

TRA-POL 9. Landy, Marc K.; Levin, Martin A.; Shapiro, Martin. Creating competitive markets: The politics of regulation reform. Brookings Institution Press, 2007.

 

Useful Web Sites

 

More useful web sites on development issues can be viewed at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=usefullink&mid=314

 

Private Infrastructure Projects Database http://ppi.worldbank.org/

 

The Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects Database is a joint product of the World Bank’s Infrastructure Economics and Finance Department and the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF). Its purpose is to identify and disseminate information on private participation in infrastructure projects in low- and middle-income countries. The database highlights the contractual arrangements used to attract private investment, the sources and destination of investment flows, and information on the main investors. By providing critical data and analysis to government policy-makers, consumer representatives, the donor community, and other stakeholders, the database contributes to the public debate on the private provision of infrastructure.

 

Friends of Vietnam Heritage Book Review

 

Hoan Kiem Lake – Its legends and Temples

Author: Friends of Vietnam Heritage

Published by The Gioi Publishers in 2008

 

This is a comprehensive guidebook which focuses on the history and legends of Hoan Kiem Lake as well as on the temples and pagodas in the surrounding area. It also serves as a self-guided walk where one can visit all the places described.

 

The book starts with a well known Vietnamese song “Remember Hanoi” which is an ode to the beloved city of Hanoi with its Green Sword lake and Turtle Tower. It is then followed by various legends about the Lake, with the most important one on Le Loi who became King Le Thai To in 1428 and the story on returning of  the Legendary Sword.

 

The book describes the various worshipping places of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Ancestral worshipping and the Cult of Mother Goddess around the lake. This publication, with its numerous colorful photographs, both old and contemporary, is a must if one wants to understand sacred places like the Ngoc Son temple, the Ba Kieu temple, the Dinh Nam Huong and the Ba Da Pagoda.

 

The research for this book was done by ten members of Friends of Vietnam Heritage with consultations from many Vietnamese experts. For the inquisitive foreign resident of Hanoi this book is a helpful guide to learn about the area around Hoan Kiem Lake which represents the physical heart and spiritual soul of Hanoi.

 

Review written by Marleen Steenbergen

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Selected Publications for Sale at VDIC

 

More featured titles for sale are listed at

http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=bookstore&op=viewDetailNews&id=155&mid=328

 

China Urbanizes: Consequences, Strategies, and Policies

Edited by Shahid Yusuf, Anthony Saich 

English -- Published January 2008 -- ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-7211-1.

Price: $ 8.00

 

The key challenges facing China in the next two decades derive from the ongoing process of urbanization. China's urbanization rate in 2005 was about 43%. Over the next 10-15 years, it is expected to rise to well over 50%, adding an additional 200 million mainly rural migrants to the current urban population of 560 million. How China copes with such a large migration flow will strongly influence rural-urban inequality, the pace at which urban centers expand their economic performance, and the urban environment. The growing population will necessitate a big push strategy to maintain a high rate of investment in housing and the urban physical infrastructure and urban services. To finance such expansion will require a significant strengthening and diversification of China's financial system. Growing cities will greatly increase consumption of energy and water. Containing this without at the same time constraining the economic performance of cities or the improvement in the standards of living will call for enlightened policies, strategies, careful urban planning, and significant technological advances. This volume identifies the key developments to watch and discusses the policies which would affect the course as well as the fruitfulness of change.

 

"China today is at a midpoint in the largest rural-to-urban migration in history. This transformation from a rural to a predominantly urban society poses enormous challenges and opportunities for China. This book of essays by outstanding scholars of China and urbanization is among the first to look at this process comprehensively. It will inform both outsiders desiring a better understanding of Chinese urbanization and insiders directly involved in trying to strengthen the policies and institutions that are shaping this transformation."

-Dwight H. Perkins Harold Hitchings Burbank Research Professor of Political Economy, Department of Economics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

 

"Of all the challenges China faces-including unemployment, environmental stress, inequality, and weak banks-rapid urbanization is the greatest, and it lies at the confluence of the others. This volume examines each problem of urbanization-inequality, poverty, finance, energy, water, and governance-with a balance rare in a field dominated by China hype and China bashing. The authors explain how China's cities managed to absorb 370 million immigrants in 25 years without becoming Lagos or Mumbai, but also emphasize the daunting hurdles ahead. Saich notes both that over 80 percent of China's people approve of the central government's performance and catalogs pervasive governance failures and weaknesses. The scholar who reflects deeply on the introductory summary will understand more about China's development than the reader of a shelf of more specialized or emotional books on China."

-William H. Overholt Chair and Director, RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy, Santa Monica, California

 

Financing Energy Efficiency: Lessons from Brazil, China, India, and Beyond

by Robert P. Taylor , Chandrasekar Govindarajalu , Jeremy Levin , Anke S. Meyer , William A. Ward 

English -- Published February 2008 -- ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-7304-0.

Price: $9.00

 

While energy efficiency projects could partly meet new energy demand more cheaply than new supplies, weak economic institutions in developing and transitional economies impede developing and financing energy efficiency retrofits. This book analyzes these difficulties, suggests a 3-part model for projectizing and financing energy efficiency retrofits, and presents thirteen case studies to illustrate the issues and principles involved.

 

"Financing Energy Efficiency identifies creative steps that can be taken by the public and private sector to realize the full and promising potential in energy efficiency in developing countries. This must be a top priority for international cooperation and World Bank leadership."

-The Honorable Timothy E. Wirth

President, United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund

 

"Raising energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce green house gases, and this book offers some timely lessons learned from projects funded through the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The study authors note that well-targeted support from international financial institutions such as ours can play an important role in spurring energy efficiency by combining investment financing and project development support. Clearly, multilateral funding can play a catalytic role through financing mechanisms and pilot projects. And to help build further momentum, this book offers timely suggestions on how individual governments can offer additional support toward building energy efficiency lending for the benefit of all."

-Monique Barbut

CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility

 

"This book is rich in substance. The successful experiences and failed lessons described in detailed cases provide useful and instructive thoughts for solving the existing obstacles and barriers faced by developing countries in energy efficiency project financing."

-Han Wenke

Director, Energy Research Institute, National Development and Reform Commission in China

 

"There is surprisingly limited consensus on how energy efficiency policies should be designed and how the financing should be delivered. Financing Energy Efficiency provides a cogent and integrated framework for designing a financial delivery system. This is a major contribution to the efforts to scale up energy efficiency and is required reading for all policy makers and financial institutions in this sector.

-Ajay Mathur

Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power, India

 

"This book provides an analytical framework to assess energy efficiency investment, with a focus on the key issue of institutional development. It will be useful to policy makers, financial intermediaries, firm managers, and other "energy efficiency project developers" as they look to realize incremental economic efficiencies and financial returns."

-Richard Garcia

Senior Managing Director and Head of Project Finance (Americas), Natixis

 

Remittances and Development: Lessons from Latin America

Edited by Pablo Fajnzylber , J. Humberto Lopez

English -- Published February 2008 -- ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-6870-1.

Price: $ 9.00

 

Workers' remittances have become a major source of financing for developing countries and are especially important in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), which is at the top of the ranking of remittances receiving regions in the world. While there has been a recent surge in analytical work on the topic, this book is motivated by the large heterogeneity in migration and remittances patterns across countries and regions, and by the fact that existing evidence for LAC is restricted to only a few countries, such as Mexico and El Salvador. Because the nature of the phenomenon varies across countries, its development impact and policy implications are also likely to differ in ways that are still largely unknown. This book helps fill the gap by exploring, in the specific context of Latin America and Caribbean countries, some of the main questions faced by policymakers when trying to respond to increasing remittances flows.

 

Review of Risk Mitigation Instruments for Infrastructure: Financing and Recent Trends and Development

by Tomoko Matsukawa , Odo Habeck 

English -- Published June 2007 -- ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-7100-8.

Price: $ 5.00

 

Although the importance of infrastructure sectors in achieving economic growth and poverty reduction is well established, raising debt and equity capital for infrastructure development and service provision has been a challenge for developing countries. Risk mitigation instruments facilitate the mobilization of commercial debt and equity capital by transferring risks that private financiers would not be willing to take to third-party official and private institutions that are capable of taking such risks. There has been increasing interest and discussion on risk mitigation instruments in the context of infrastructure financing among developing country governments, multi- and bilateral donors, and the private sector. However, due to the complex and diverse nature of risk mitigation instruments, what they can and cannot offer and how they can best be utilized for infrastructure financing are not well understood.

 

This book summarizes existing risk mitigation instruments - primarily focusing on those offered by multilateral and bilateral official agencies - and presents recent trends and developments that make these guarantee and insurance products valuable in securing financing for infrastructure projects in developing countries.

 

Topics covered include

 

·          descriptions of different types of risk mitigation instruments

·          characteristics of multilateral, bilateral, and private providers of risk mitigation instruments and compatability of instruments

·          recent developments and innovative applications of risk mitigation instruments through case transactions

·          areas that pose challenges to the use of risk mitigation instruments as catalysts of infrastructure development.

·          This book will be of particular interest to readers working in business and finance, law and regulation, and infrastructure projects and finance.

 

Public Finance in China: Reform and Growth for a Harmonious Society Available Immediately

Edited by Jiwei Lou and Shuilin Wang

English -- Published January 2008 -- ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-6927-2.

Price: $ 11.00

 

This book brings together analysis and insights from high-level Chinese policy-makers and prominent international scholars in addressing the key challenges China is facing in maintaining rapid growth and achieving the Government's stated goal of creating a harmonious society. It analyzes such key policy issues as: public finance and the changing role of the state; fiscal reform and revenue and expenditure assignments; inter-governmental relations and fiscal transfers; and financing and delivery of basic public goods such as compulsory education, innovation, public health, and social protection.

 

"A key to China's successful reform has been the decision makers' ability to identify major constraints for development and transition, open their minds to different recommendations, and make decisions based on their understanding of desirability and feasibility in this country. This book is a good example of public policy debates in China."

Justin Yifu Lin,

World Bank Chief Economist and Senior Vice President

 

"Public sector institutions will play a critical role in determining the future pace of China's growth and the distribution of income and welfare. The contributions in this volume frame the central issues that scholars and policy makers concerned with taxation and the design of public spending programs must confront in the decades ahead."

James Poterba,

Mitsui Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology;

Director, Public Economics Research Program, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Mass.

 

"The authors should be highly commended for their deep understanding of China's financial, economic, and social issues; the soundness of their arguments; and the relevance of their policy recommendations. The publication and dissemination of this book will no doubt greatly promote the further study and broader exchange of ideas on these important issues."

Jinglian Wu,

Vice Chairman, Committee for Economic Affairs, National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference;

Senior Research Fellow, Development Research Center of the State Council, Beijing

 

The Power of Survey Design: A User's Guide for Managing Surveys, Interpreting Results, and Influencing Respondents

by Giuseppe Iarossi 

English -- Published January 2006 -- ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-6392-8.

Price: $ 10.00

 

"A master of his craft, Giuseppe Iarossi has drawn on his extensive experience in the field to produce a wonderfully useful volume on how to do and work with surveys of industrial firms."

- Kenneth L. Sokoloff, Department of Economics, U.C.L.A

 

A practical how-to guide on all the steps involved with survey implementation, this volume covers survey management, questionnaire design, sampling, respondent's psychology and survey participation, and data management. A comprehensive and practical reference for those who both use and produce survey data.

 

Migration and Remittances Factbook 2008

by Dilip Ratha , Zhimei Xu    

English -- Published February 2008 -- ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-7413-9.

Price: $ 9.00

 

The Migration and Remittances Factbook 2008 attempts to present the numbers and facts behind the stories of International migration and remittances, drawing on authoritative, publicly available data. It provides a snapshot of statistics on immigration, emigration, skilled emigration, and remittance flows for 194 countries, and 13 regional and income groups. Some interesting facts from the Factbook:

 

·          Nearly 200 million people, or 3 percent of the world population, live outside their countries of birth. Current migration flows, relative to population, are weaker than those of the last decades of the nineteenth century.

·          The volume of South-South migration is almost as large as that of Sount-North migration

·          International migration is dominated by voluntary migration, which is driven by economic factors. In 2005, refugees numbered only 13.5 million, or just 7 percent of international migrants. The share of refugees in the population of low-inclome countries was more than five times larger than the share in high-income OECD countries.

·          Worldwide remittance flows are estimated to have exceeded $318 billion in 2007, of whichdeveloping countries received $240 billion. The true size, including unrecorded flows through the formal and informal channels, is belived to be significantly larger.

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Distance Learning Center Events in May 2008

 

For more information about our Distance Learning Center services, facilities and events, please visit http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=learningevents&op=viewDetailNews&id=311&&mid=330

 

Training Program for ASEAN Countries on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT)

May 8 - 29, 2008, from 09:00 a.m. to noon every course day

 

This course is developed and delivered by the World Bank Institute as phase II of a capacity enhancement program for ASEAN countries. The course aims to: 1) offer training on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) to relevant public and private sector officials; 2) provide an opportunity to discuss AML/CFT implementation best practices and challenges in the region; and 3) provide an opportunity for the newly trained experts from the Jakarta Workshop held in late April 2007 (phase I training) to perform as trainers by presenting the eight AML/CFT modules. For further information, please visit: http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=learningevents&op=viewDetailNews&id=440&language=english&mid=310&cmid=

 

Training Course on Competition, Trade and Business Environment Development

May 19 - June 6, 2008, from 08:30 - 17:00 every course day

 

Funded by the Vietnam Blended Learning Program, this training course is a mix videoconference workshops and web-based discussion forums. Through the faciltation of trainers from India, 60 participants from Government agencies, business sector and journalism in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will learn knowledge on competition, market structure, restrictive business and unfair trade practices and the relevant situations in the world and Vietnam. Participants will also develop skills to analyse market structure, assess the current market practice, set up market scenarios and analyse opportunities and risks for a certain business strategy. Learning activities have a focus on Vietnam's market and business circumstances with a view to enabling the participants to use the knowledge and skills learned in addressing their own problems and issues.  

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Funding Opportunities

 

For more funding opportunities, please read previous VDIC newsletters at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=newsletter&op=viewDetailNews&id=230&mid=350

 

For further information on the news provided below, please contact the organization directly.

 

Vietnam Innovation Day 2008 “Safer Food for People”

 

The Vietnam Innovation Day (VID) 2008 is a "mini marketplace" for innovative ideas that address local development challenges. It identifies and directly supports small, bottom-up, innovative development proposals that deliver results, which can then be expanded or replicated. It creates opportunities for local innovators to meet, exchange ideas, share information and network with other people responding to the same concerns.

 

The theme for 2008 programme is “Safer Food for People”. The proposals could focus on, but not be limited to, the following sub-themes

 

1/ Education and public awareness raising:

2/ ‘Good Practices’ for food safety:

3/ New technology for safer and higher quality products:

4/ Solutions for better management and administration:

 

The VID is seeking proposals from all Vietnamese individuals, groups and organizations at local level. Foreigners and international organizations may only apply in partnership with a local agency.

 

Timeline: Proposals must be received by the World Bank Vietnam office by 5:00 pm on May 20, 2008.

 

It is planned that at least 15 grants will be awarded through an open competition. Maximum award size is expected to be about US$15,000 to support the implementation of the proposal. The final awarded amount may vary in size and will be determined based on the needs of the proposals selected.

 

For more information please visit www.worldbank.org/vn

 

Open Research Fellowships - University of Cambridge

 

Applications are invited from men and women for three research fellowships in any subject, and for one Alan Wilson Research Fellowship in the Medical or Biological Sciences.

 

The fellowships are tenable from October 1, 2008. The stipend for research fellows is related to the national academic scale. The current stipend for pre-doctoral (resp. postdoctoral) research fellows is £18,993 (resp. £20,235) and £20,916 (resp. £22,155), according as the fellow is resident or non-resident in college.

 

Applicants must not have completed more than a total of eight years of postgraduate research by October 1, 2008.

 

Deadline: October 11, 2008

 

For more information please visit http://www.emma.cam.ac.uk/teaching/jobs/resfell/    

 

Visiting Fellowships - University of Oxford

 

All Souls College will offer Visiting Fellowships for periods of one, two, or three terms in the academic year running from October 2008 to June 2009. Visiting Fellowships are intended to enable their holders to carry out study and research in Oxford and to participate in the academic life of the University. Visiting Fellowships are open in all subjects.

 

There is no stipend attached to a Visiting Fellowship, but the college provides visiting fellows with free lunches, dinners, and living accommodation; a study; computing support; internet facilities; some shared secretarial assistance; and access to Oxford libraries.

 

Deadline: September 7, 2008

 

For more information please visit http://www.all-souls.ox.ac.uk/elections/visiting.php  

 

JSPS RONPAKU (Dissertation Ph.D.) Program - Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

 

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) has been carrying out the RONPAKU (Dissertation Ph.D.) Program since 1978. The aim of this program is to provide tutorial and financial support for promising researchers in Asia who wish to obtain their Ph.D. degrees from Japanese universities through the submission of a dissertation without matriculating a doctoral course.

 

Amount note: 1. To the RONPAKU fellow:

a. Round-trip, economy-class international air ticket from his or her home country

b. Maintenance allowance for his or her stay in Japan, paid based on JSPS regulations

c. Medical and accident insurance during fellow's stay in Japan

d. Expenses related to dissertation submission of up to 500,000 yen (based on Japanese host university's regulations), and dissertation printing and publication of up to 100,000 yen in final year of fellowship tenure

 

Deadline: August 23, 2008

 

For more information please visit http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-ronpaku/guideline.html  

 

Swedish Research Link Programme - Vetenskapsrådet (VR)

 

The Swedish Research Links Programme seeks to foster research ties between researchers in Sweden, on the one hand, and researchers in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) and South Africa on the other. The key condition for the Swedish Research Links Programme is that researchers from the countries involved must submit joint applications on projects of mutual interest.

 

International Research Grants are normally awarded for three years with a possible one-year extension. The maximum International Research Grant is SEK 250,000 a year for three years, i.e., a total of SEK 750,000. The one-year International Planning Grant amounts to SEK 75,000.

 

Deadline: May 3, 2008

 

For more information please visit http://www.vr.se/mainmenu/applyforgrants/callforproposals/
swedishresearchlinksprogramme.4.1de1cc2f110e2060be98000473.html
  

 

UNESCO-Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest for Young People 2008

 

Young people from around the world are again invited this year to enter the 2008 International Essay Contest organized by UNESCO and the Goi Peace Foundation with the sponsorship of the Earthrise Society.

 

The theme for this year s contest is "My project to create positive change in my environment. How can I foster sustainable development in my community?" Please submit your innovative ideas and concrete plans/projects to address the social, cultural, environmental or economic problems faced by your community.

 

First prize winners will receive a cash award and a trip to Japan.

 

To read winning essays from last year's contest, please kindly visit the website http://www.goipeace.or.jp/english/activities/programs/0702.htm.

 

The deadline for entry is June 30, 2008.

 

Please see the complete guidelines on http://www.goipeace.or.jp/english/activities/programs/0801_00.htm.

 

The 2008 International Essay Contest anouncement is also prominently highlighted on UNESCO website at http://www.unesco.org/youth.

 

YouthActionNet® Global Fellowship Program

 

Are you the founder of a youth organization that mobilizes citizens in addressing an urgent social need? Do you lead a team of dedicated young people in protecting and promoting children’s rights in your country? If you are a young person working to bring about positive societal change in your community, YouthActionNet® can help.

 

Launched in 2001 by the International Youth Foundation, YouthActionNet® strengthens, supports, and celebrates the role of young people in leading positive change in their communities. Each year, 20 exceptional young social entrepreneurs are selected as YouthActionNet® Global Fellows following a competitive application process. The year-long Fellowship program includes:

 

Skill-building

 

*A seven-day capacity building retreat in Washington, DC (all expenses paid)

*Development of a customized learning plan based on individual leadership learning needs. This learning is focused on six dimensions of leadership: personal, visionary, political, collaborative, organizational, and societal.

 

Networking

 

*Networking with international and national aid agencies, NGOs, and corporate partners.

*Peer-to-peer networking throughout the year.

 

Advocacy

 

*Training in communications and media outreach; public relations technical assistance.

*Access to global advocacy platforms and media coverage.

 

Global Fellows also have access to potential funding opportunities.

 

Eligibility

 

* Open to all young people, ages 18-29

* Applicants should be founders of existing projects/organizations with a clear vision for social change, or leading a project within an organization

* Proficiency in English is required; applications must be submitted in English

* Applicants must be available to attend full retreat, November 1-8, 2008, in Washington, DC

 

To Apply

 

Completed application forms are due by the May 15th.  Applicants may fill out the form online at www.youthactionnet.org   

 

2009-2010 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

 

The Embassy of the United States in Vietnam is pleased to announce the 2009-2010 competition for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. The Humphrey Fellowship Program is a one-year, non-degree, full scholarship program offered to promising mid-career professionals who have a proven track record of leadership, and a strong public service commitment. Participants in the program spends one year at a leading U.S. university doing their self-designed program of independent study, participate in professional affiliations off-campus, field trips, special workshops and seminars in their field of study. Fellows are selected on their potential for national leadership and commitment to public service in either the public or private sector.

 

Attached please find the program’s announcement and application form for the 2009-2010 academic year. Application deadline: August 1, 2008.

 

For additional information, please visit the Vietnamese Alumni Communty on State Alumni website at http://alumni.state.gov/vietnamese-community or contact ledt@state.gov .

 

2009 Vietnamese Fulbright Scholar Program

 

The Fulbright Program in Vietnam is pleased to announce the launching of its recruitment for candidates for the 2009 Vietnamese Scholar Program. The Vietnamese Scholar Program (VSP), one of the four traditional components of the Fulbright Program in Vietnam, provides grants to Vietnamese scholars to lecture and/or research at American institutions or universities for periods from three months to nine months.

 

To apply for the 2009 Vietnamese Scholar Program, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements: hold an M.A. or Ph.D. degree (or equivalent degree in some specific professionals), be Vietnamese citizens, and have English skills adequate to conduct their research and/or lectures in the United States. A complete application includes: an application form (can be obtained at http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/fulbright.html), a research or lecture proposal, a curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation. Futher information is available at http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/fvsc.html  

 

Application deadline: October 15, 2008.

 

For additional information, please visit the Vietnamese Alumni Communty on State Alumni website at http://alumni.state.gov/vietnamese-community   or contact ledt@state.gov .

 

2008 Equator Prize

 

The Equator Initiative is a partnership that brings together the United Nations, civil society, business, governments and communities to help build the capacity and raise the profile of grassroots efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

 

A simple fact lies at the heart of the Equator Initiative's work: the world's greatest concentrations of biological wealth are found in the tropics, in countries that also have some of the highest levels of poverty. The good news is that communities are charting a path toward sustainability, creatively using biological resources for food, medicine, shelter and improved livelihoods in ways that raise incomes and protect the environment. The Equator Initiative champions and supports community efforts to link economic development and income generation with the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

 

The Equator Initiative's work is organized around four themes:

 

*The Equator Prize is a prestigious international award that recognizes outstanding local efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

 

*An innovative programme of community and local-global dialogues, learning exchanges and meetings, Equator Dialogues celebrate local successes, share experiences and inform policy.

 

*Equator Knowledge is a comprehensive research and learning initiative dedicated to synthesizing lessons from local conservation and poverty reduction practice.

 

*Equator Ventures is a unique investment program focused on blended finance and capacity development for biodiversity enterprises in the most biodiversity-rich locations of the world.

 

For more information please visit http://www.equatorinitiative.org/   

 

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: The 2008 Ryutaro Hashimoto APFED Awards

 

The Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED) is pleased to invite all eligible organisations that have made contributions to the promotion of sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific to apply for the 2008 Ryutaro Hashimoto APFED Awards for Good Practices.

 

The applications that satisfy the eligibility requirements and that qualify by means of a peer-review will be registered in the APFED database. After a comprehensive evaluation process, winners will be presented with monetary awards. These awards are the Gold Prize (USD 20,000), the  Silver Prize (USD 7,000) and the Incentive Prize (USD 2,000).

 

The deadline for applications is 30 May 2008.

 

For further details, please visit http://www.apfed.net/ki/awards/index.html  

 

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: APFED Showcase Programme

 

The Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED) Showcase Programme is now calling for proposals for showcase projects which support the development, implementation, monitoring, and information dissemination of innovative policies, measures and actions for promoting sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region. A grant of up to USD 30,000 will be provided to each selected project.

 

The deadline for application is 31 May 2008.

 

For further details, please visit http://www.apfed.net/showcase/index.html  

 

Australian Scholarship opportunities available for Vietnam - Round 2009

 

Australian Scholarships is providing educational, research and professional development opportunities to support growth in the Asia-Pacific region, promote excellence in education and build enduring links at the individual, institutional and country levels.

 

Australian Scholarships consists of the following programs:

 

* Australian Development Scholarships (ADS), building on the long established and well regarded existing country program that are a central component of the Australian Government’s aid program (AusAID). Full details of ADS can be found on the ADS website, at http://www.ads.edu.vn  

 

* Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) is a prestigious regional program targeting current and future leaders from areas of shared mutual interest (AusAID). Full details of ALA can be found on the AusAID website, at http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/ala.cfm

 

* Endeavour Awards, developing linkages through excellence in education. The Endeavour Awards is an internationally competitive, merit-based program providing opportunities to undertake short or long term study, research and professional development in Australia in a broad range of disciplines. The program also builds enduring links between Australia and Vietnam. For more information and to apply for an award, go to http://www.endeavour.dest.gov.au  

 

Information sessions about the Australian scholarships will be held in:

 

* HANOI at the Australian Embassy, 8 Dao Tan, Ba Dinh at 9.00AM, 25 April 2008

 

* HAI PHONG at Maritime University, 484 Lach Tray at 9.00AM, 6 May 2008

 

* DANANG at ELI, the University of Danang, 41 Le Duan at 9.00AM, 14 May 2008

 

* HO CHI MINH CITY at Gillawa room, 5th Floor, Australian Consulate, 5B Ton Duc Thang, District 1 at 9.00AM, 22 May 2008

 

* VUNG TAU at the Palace Hotel, 01 Nguyen Trai at 9.00AM, 23 May 2008

 

To register your attendance, pls contact:

 

Tel: 04 831 7755, ext. 155 or 08 825 6560 -- Email: ha.tran@aei.gov.au or studyinaustralia@hcm.vnn.vn.  

 

Scholars will be selected from highly competitive pools on the basis of demonstrated leadership qualities, academic achievement and/or the potential for them to have development impact.

 

Awards are open for all fields of study.  However study programs that relate to the priority themes of shared regional interest - international trade, pandemics, security and climate change (including clean energy) - are encouraged.

 

For further information go to www.australianscholarships.gov.au

 

Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award for Television 2008

 

The ABU, CASBAA and UNICEF are now calling on Asia-Pacific broadcasters and producers for entries for the ABU CASBAA UNICEF Child Rights Award 2008. The Award is made each year to the best television programming on children’s rights produced in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

The ABU, CASBAA and UNICEF are now calling on Asia-Pacific broadcasters and producers for entries for the ABU CASBAA UNICEF Child Rights Award 2008.

 

The Award is made each year to the best television programming on children’s rights produced in the Asia-Pacific region. It recognizes the efforts of broadcasters in pursuing both the production of top quality children’s programming and better news coverage of children’s issues. There is only one category and one winner.

 

Programmes both for children and about children are eligible and can cover any child rights’ issue. Entries can include documentaries that detail the plight of children, dramas that help break down stereotypes and discrimination, or animation that teaches and entertains. Entries must have been broadcast between June 2007 and May 2008. The Award will be presented at the 45th ABU General Assembly & Associated Meeting in Bali on 24 November 2008. The winner will be flown to Bali for the ceremony.

 

47 Asian and Pacific countries are eligible for this award, including Vietnam.

 

Entries must be received by 30 June 2008.

 

For more information please visit http://www.childrightsaward.org/index.html  

 

British Chevening Scholarships - British Council

 

The British Chevening Scholarships are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and administered by the British Council.The British Chevening Scholarships enable overseas graduate students and young professionals to study or do research at UK institutions of higher education, becoming familiar with the United Kingdom and gaining skills that will benefit their countries.

 

The programme currently provides around 2,300 scholarships each year. The award amount is unspecified. There are basically three types of scholarship:

 

-          Type A scholarships cover tuition fees only.

-          Type B scholarships are full scholarships that cover tuition fees, monthly stipend, and various one-off allowances.

-          Type C scholarships vary from award to award and cover part or full stipend and/or allowances.

 

For more information please visit http://www.chevening.com/about/countries/vietnam/index.html

 

Call for Entries to Reuters-IUCN Environmental Media Awards

 

IUCN Media Awards is a worldwide competition in environmental journalism to recognise excellence in professional reporting on environmental and sustainable development issues; and foster a dialogue between journalists and experts to encourage informative reporting based on sound scientific data. The Awards are open to journalists in print and online news services throughout the world. Journalists are invited to submit entries related to environment and sustainable development.

 

The global winner, selected from six regional winners, receives a cash prize of US$5,000. The six regional winners receive a trophy and a travel grant to attend the global awards ceremony in October 2008.

 

Deadline: 15 June 2008

 

For more information please visit http://cms.iucn.org/media/media_awards/index.cfm   

 

Coral reef research fellowship

 

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (LOF) sponsors graduate fellowships for doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers whose research supports conservation, management and restoration of coral reef ecosystems.  Beginning in 2009, a dedicated and hard working individual will have the opportunity to participate in a multidisciplinary global coral reef expedition, with research opportunities in French Polynesia, Kiribati, Palau, Philippines, Maldives and other locations. The primary objectives of the cruise are to characterize coral reef ecosystem health across gradients of human and natural disturbance, determine global and local processes that control the functioning of these ecosystems, identify and predict impacts across gradients, and identify strategies to mitigate impacts.  Potential areas of research include:

 

1) Identification of factors that impart ecological resilience to global threats (e.g., climate change) and how these indicators vary across gradients of human and environmental stressors;

 

2) Characterization of key processes (e.g., herbivory, recruitment, predation) that drive ecosystem health, and how diversity, productivity, habitat structure, anthropogenic disturbances,  environmental determinants and other factors;

 

3) Elucidating genetic connectivity within and between reef systems and the roles of biological (e.g., reproductive strategy) and physical factors; and

 

4) Evaluation of bioindicators that enhance the ability of corals to resist environmental stress, such as cellular-diagnostic markers (e.g., heat shock proteins), genetic diversity of algal symbionts and associated microbial communities, and genetic estimates of clonal structure within reefs.

 

The Living Oceans Foundation Fellowship will provide up to a $35,000 annual stipend to cover legitimate educational and research expenses such as tuition and research field-work expenses. The fellowship recipient will be known as the "Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation Research Fellow." Fellows may receive up to three continuous years of financial support based upon annual competitive reapplication.   

 

Candidates must have demonstrated oral and written communication skills and have the knowledge and expertise needed to develop a dissertation topic related to the mission of the Foundation and its role in marine conservation. Ph.D. candidates must also meet the requirements of graduate programs at accredited universities.  Applications must originate from the accredited university. 

 

Applications will include: 1) proof of enrollment or admissions in an accredited university, 2) copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts, 3) an essay explaining your interest in marine

conservation, 4) a research proposal, 5) two letters of recommendation, and 6) written endorsement of your established, or prospective academic advisor.

 

Deadline for application: May 30, 2008.

 

Please see http://www.livingoceansfoundation.org and click on "Fellowships" for more information. 

 

Ha Noi Connect2Earth Competition - Call for Entry

 

Connect2Earth is a new international online community where young people can express their opinions about the environment by uploading videos, pictures and comments.

 

The global Connect2Earth competition will last until August 31 2008, and the winner will be awarded the opportunity to participate in the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona in October 2008 where she or he will present her/his ideas directly to political, environmental, and business leaders from around the world.

 

The Hanoi competition duration: May 1 – June 29

 

Audience: Hanoi youth aged between 15 and 35

 

How to join?

 

Firstly, go to http://www.connect2earth.org or write connect2earth@iucn.org.vn to find out how to submit an entry.

 

When you have submitted your entry, send connect2earth@iucn.org.vn the following information:

 

* Your full name and date of birth

* Your contact details (Phone number, email address)

* Your organization (if any)

* The nick you used to submit entry

* The category of your entry

* The date when you submitted the entry

 

Procedure and Prize:

 

* Entries will be accepted starting from 0:00 on Thursday, May 1 to 24:00 on Sunday, 29 June, depending on the arrival time of notice emails received by IUCN Viet Nam.

* A judging committee comprising of environmental experts, environmental education experts and media experts will select a winner for each genre of photography, video clip and text comments in early July.

* Notification of prize winners and the awarding will be made before September.

* Award winning entries will receive in-kind prizes (personal income tax included) and public exposure on environmental media

 

Keep in mind:

 

* There is no limitation to the number of entries you can make to this competition.

* Participants to this competition are subject to the terms and conditions of services set by the global connect2earth initiative.

* In case of any dispute, the final decision is made by the competition’s judging committee and IUCN Viet Nam.

* Write connect2earth@iucn.org.vn if you have any question.

 

Change Agent Awards for Women in Computing from Emerging Countries

 

The Anita Borg Change Agent Awards celebrate the accomplishments of technical women from emerging countries. These awards are designed to recognize up-and-coming leaders that impact or advance women's participation in technology, while also internationally expanding the reach of the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference.

 

Three individual Awards will be given to women in computing that:

 

1. Demonstrate leadership within their communities

2. Expand opportunities and influence the careers of girls and women in technology

3. Demonstrate impact on advancing women's participation in technology

4. Establish the desire to attend the conference

5. Demonstrate financial need

 

Each award includes reimbursement of travel expenses to/from the conference, hotel accommodations, full conference registration, the opportunity to participate in a conference session, and recognition in the printed program at the 2008 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference. Women of all ages and education levels are encouraged to apply. Please read the complete details about this award in order to nominate yourself or others for consideration.

 

A change agent is someone who either deliberately engages in social change, or whose behavior results in social, cultural or behavioral change. Scholarships will be given to change agents that support women as equal partners in the development and use of computing around the world. Women of all ages and education levels are encouraged to apply, provided they can demonstrate their impact on advancing women's participation in technology. Applicants must articulate how their participation in the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women will support their work to promote active participation of women in information technology.

 

You will be required to supply the following:

 

• Introductory statement that describes an overview of your work, accomplishments, and country context. This is not to exceed one page.

• Statement of merit that addresses the candidacy requirements and goals specified in this document – please address all areas of competency as descried in the overview section. This is not to exceed one page.

• Curriculum vitae or résumé

 

For more information please visit http://anitaborg.org/initiatives/awards/change-agent-awards/   

 

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